Brick.



Patented Apr. I5, I902. P. GRIFFIN.

BRICK (No Modal.)

UNlTED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

PERCY GRIFFIN, OF ORANGE, NEYV JERSEY.

BRICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettrs Patent No. 697,914, dated April 15, 1902. Application filed May 20, 1901. Sarial No. 61,007. (No modal.)

which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to bricks,and bas for its purpose to provide an ordinary building brick Which shall be available for almost universal purposes-that is 130 say, in the ordinary wall construction, as is well known, certain of the bricks fromthe manner in Which they are used are designated as stretchers, headers, bonds, &c. and my invention provides a brick which may be used for all these purposes and from its construction economizes to a great extent both in material and in labor.

In the drawings I have illustrated constructions embodying the features of my invention.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 illustrates in perspective a brick embodying my invention. Fig. 2 illustrates a portion of a wall structure employing bricks embodying my invention, and Fig. 3 illustrates a com struction embodying a modification of the idea.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1, A designates the brick, which has the upper and lower broad faces a and et. The face or front edge of the brick is designated by the letter B, and the rear face or edge is designated by the letter b. As shown in this drawing, the brick exactly midway of its length is provided with agroove 0. This groove, which may be of any sbape, extends on the face a from a pointe slightly in the rear of the upper edge of the face B in a straight lino back to therear face b, then vertically down the rear face 1), and again forward on the face a to a point c somewhat to the rear of the loweredge of the front face B, thus forming a continuons groove around three sides of the brick at its median line and leaving the front face and the upper and 1ower broad surfaces for a short distance in the rear of the front face unaffected. This provides a brick which may be used as a streteher or header, as D and E, or a semiheader F, respectivcly, in the wall structure .Will at once lay it in position without further manipulation, and this is true if it is to be used for the purposes of bonding the face With the rear portions of the wall, as shown by the brick designated E in Fig. 2; or if it is desired to give the Flemish bonded appearance to the face and it is not necessary to bond the face to the rear portions of the wall the brick will be easily and quickly divided by the bricklayer and placed in position as a header or semiheader, one such being shown in the wall structure of Fig. 2 and designated by the letter F.

It is not important that the weakened line of resistance along the median line of the brick should be a continuous groove, as illustrated in the constructions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as any means of weakening the brick so that it may be easily broken along a line midway of its length will be within the scope of the invention, so long as such weakened line leaves the brick With a clean outer face, so that the wall structure made of bricks according to my invention shall present exactly the same appearance as if made with the ordinary bricks.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a brick in which the Weakened line of resistance consists of a series of recesses along the line midway of the length of the brick, these rccesses being designated by the letter G.

WVhen I use the term plain outer surface or plain surface in the claims it is to be understood that I mean a surface unprovided With grooves or recesses constituting the weakened line of resistance. S0 long as the bricks are not provided With this weak ened line of recesses they may be ornamented or be of irregular surface and yet be plain Within the meaning of the term as used in the claims.

ICO

What is claimed as new isstopping short of the corner made by the m 1. A brick havinga piain outer face and an onter face and the top and bottom surfaces. nppei and loWer portion plain fora short dis- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set tance baok of the corner of the oucer face, my hand in the presence of two subscribing PEROY GRIFFIN.

5 and a weakened or breaking lime at its midwitnesses.

dle portion.

2. A brick having a plain outer face, a groove midway of thelength of the brick, and extending around the other threo sides but;

XVitnesses:

ERNEST HOPKINSON, r THOS. J. SURPLESS. 

